Solace
by herquill
Summary: What really happened? How did Ariana become the monster she now is? This story is told in third person from Ariana’s point of view. It is based on information provided in books about life before Easton, with a little creativity on my part. Reviews please!
1. Chapter 1

Ariana woke up to the sound of her mother's heart wrenching sobs. Again. She closed her eyes, willing it to all go away. As the cries subsided, Ariana's heartbeat also slowed down. Tears streaking down her face, she quietly unlatched the window before easing out through it.

Ariana slid down against the side of her house and shivered through her thin cotton nightgown. Her thigh was pressed against the sleety sidewalk and her arm grazing the frosty steps. She liked the feeling; being numb. Ariana took a deep breath and looked up at the seemingly happy surroundings; Christmas lights everywhere, happy couples strolling around the neighborhood without a single worry.

"_Why had it happened? They had been so happy…_" Ariana thought, reminiscing all the happy times her family had spent together. She remembered her father's strong arms wrapping her mother and her in a tight hug and rocking them back and forth. She remembered them laughing together during one of their weekly Friday night scrabble games. The recollection then flashed to her parents the day before, screaming at each other. Her father had laughed spitefully, as her mother ripped the divorce papers into shreds, tears streaming down her face. And then her mother had threatened to kill herself, her face contorted into an ugly and unfamiliar look of desperation. "No!" Ariana gasped at the memory, her nails digging into her thighs.

She curled into a tight ball, squeezing her eyes closed. Suddenly she heard a crash and hurled herself back through the open window. A sharp edge of the window had cut into her shoulder, but Ariana ignored it. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. She shoved open her door, unsteadily running across the hallway to her mother's room. The door was locked. "Mother!" Ariana cried, "Are you all right? Open the door, Mother!"

At the sound of the Ariana's loud cries, the housekeeper, Mary came downstairs from her room. "Can you not keep it down a little?" She asked grouchily, rubbing her eyes.

"It's Mother!" Ariana cried again, beginning to hyperventilate. "Mother-mother-mother-mother", she panted, "something happened! I heard a crash, and she's not answering!"

The housekeeper's eyes widened and she scurried off in search for the door key. Ariana's eyes were wild as she repeatedly slammed her fists into the door, and by the time the housekeeper had returned with a key, her knuckles were dripping with blood. As Mary turned the key in the lock, Ariana flung herself inside the room, and was horrified at the sight awaiting her.

Her Mother; sprawled across the carpet, the Vicodin bottle tipped over, pills spilling out. Her face was a sickly pale, pupils dilated and lips slightly parted. "Call an ambulance, Mary! Call-now-now-now…" Ariana screamed, kneeling over her mother and shaking her. "Mother! Mother! Wake up!"


	2. Chapter 2

Ariana wrapped her arms around her legs. She sat in silence. She glanced up at the clock hanging from the wall to her right. _Tick Tock_. _Tick Tock_. Her heart thumped in beat to the clock. It had only been three minutes, yet it felt like a lifetime. Her eyes were blank, and her typically rosy cheeks pale. "Dear", her housekeeper, Mary beckoned to her. "Come take a sip of water, dear."

Ariana ignored her housekeeper, and turned her gaze to the door. The door in which her mother had been brought into only minutes before. Her eyes were locked on the doorknob. She wondered how long it would take her to run across the room and open the door. Would she be caught? Would she be noticed? She eyed the receptionist, a tall thin woman with a long pointy nose and permanently pursed lips. Ariana pulled herself up with a new found strength, and glanced around, ready to make a run for it. It was then that, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. He was tall, handsome, in his fancy navy suit and was looking out of place in an emergency room at a hospital.

As he spotted Ariana, he smiled and waved, then walked towards her. At this, Ariana felt a burst of fury. She backed away into the corner of the room. It was him. He killed her. He had forced her to take those pills. _He_ was the one who had left her no choice. Ariana was certain of this. "Get away from me", she screamed at her father.

"Stop making a scene", he exclaimed, before looking around awkwardly. "Calm down!" He paused, then lowered his voice. "So how is your mother?" He asked, conversationally, flashing the shocked onlookers a fake smile.

"Like you would care", Ariana spat, storming out of the waiting area. Her father came running after her.

He tightly gripped her shoulder, nails digging into her skin, fixing her with a cold stare as if daring her to speak. She looked away defiantly, but was clearly distraught. "If you ever, ever talk to me like that again", he said, tightening his grip on her, "you will be sorry".

Ariana's head started spinning. Her insides started to churn. She tried to hold on to her father for support, but he shrugged her off, starting to turn around. Ariana closed her eyes tightly, leaned over and vomited. She reached for her father again, who groaned and shook her off him in disgust, muttering, "I can't deal with this right now!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, to any loyal readers out there! I've had a busy week. My goal is to update every weekend, yes? But please review! I've only had reviews from two users, and I really need some feedback on which direction to head! Thank you. **

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Ariana sat by her mother's bedside, stroking her platinum blond hair. "Ariana", her mother said softly, "my dear girl… I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Mother", Ariana gripped her mother's hand tightly. "It's okay. You're okay now."

"No, Ari, I'm not", her mother stared sullenly out the window. "I'm not okay. I have a problem. I have to stay here for awhile. I have to do this. For you. For me. For _us_."

Ariana's lower lip started to tremble, her eyes watering. She put on her strongest face, and looked at her mother. "I understand. Mary will bring me to visit you every day. You'll get better. Then you can come home and everything will be back to normal."

"No, Ariana. I'm afraid that won't be happening" Her mother exclaimed. "You'll be staying with your father. We've talked about it. It's the right thing to do. You'll have a terrific time with him."

Ariana jumped up, and stared at her mother in shock. "_No_!", she cried. "I won't do it. I won't live with him. I won't leave you!"

Her mother reached for her, and whispered, "dear, he loves you so very much, even if he's not good at showing it. Give him a chance."

Ariana screamed defiantly, "I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! He did this to us- he ruined us!"

Her mother's eyes hardened. "You do not have a choice in this. Our decision is final."


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey, all. I know it's been a month since my last update, but bear with me, please! There's more coming soon (xmas break), I've been buried under endless piles of work! But yeah, I'm taking a break from studying to update this now._

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Ariana took one last look around her bedroom, one hand balancing a duffel bag on the handle of her suitcase and the other tightly grasping door handle. "Ariana", her father called out impatiently, "Let's _go_!" Ariana closed her eyes, and with one swift move, slammed the door shut.

She hurried down the stairs, coming face to face with her father. He tapped his watch and exclaimed, "How long does it take to pack a bag?" He paused, lost in a faraway thought. "Like mother, like daughter!" he smiled affectionately before saying, "your mother always took so long to pack."

Ariana clenched her fists, trying to suppress the waves of hate directed towards her father. "Does that mean you're going to leave me like you left mother?" She said, mockingly, before stalking out the door.

Ariana's father caught up with her, yanked her back with a jerk of her ponytail. "You insolent little brat", he hissed. "I warned you, didn't I? You _are_ going to regret say that."

Ariana trembled, her scalp aching from the strong grasp of her father's rough hands. "I'll get him back", she thought furiously.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi, readers! Wow, it's been two months since my last update. *grimace* Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been working on a site of mine that I hope to open to the public by the end of January. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll update as soon as I get a decent amount of reviews- I promise!_

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It was Ariana's first day at Hancrete Secondary School, and the first day back to school after Christmas Break for the rest of the students. As much as she willed herself to not care, deep down inside she longed to be accepted, to be well-liked, to be _popular_. She had never been much of a social butterfly, although much less reserved before her parents' problems had begun.

Ariana shrugged back her black tote bag, and surveyed herself in the mirror. She adjusted her preppy uniform cardigan for the fourth time, and straightened her skirt. She flashed a confident smile to her mirror image, as if trying to convince herself that she was prepared. "I can do this!" She told herself positively, before turning and stalking out the door.

Ariana thanked her father's driver, Isaac, as he held open the car door for her. She slid into a seat, and was surprised to see an exotic looking girl about her age sitting beside her, flipping through a New York Times magazine. "Hello", Ariana said stiffly, as Isaac closed the door.

The girl watched her for a moment, as if mesmerized, then blinked. "Hi, you're Ariana, right?" She put down the magazine, and extended her hand. "I'm Sabine. It's so nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you. My mother and I live next door to you, and our parents are quite good friends, so your father offered to let me ride to school with you to save my mom the trouble."

Ariana leaned over awkwardly to shake Sabine's outstretched hand. Sabine smiled and paused before adding, "Sorry for going on and on, I do that sometimes. I'm sure your father told you about the arrangements already".

"Actually, he didn't", Ariana replied softly, glancing away.

She hadn't spoken to her father since she had blurted out that mocking comment about her mother, nor had she been planning to. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sabine watching her intently. Suddenly remembering her resolution to be less reserved, Ariana gave Sabine a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you too."

Ariana noticed Sabine's familiar looking uniform, which was almost identical to hers. Immediately, she felt a lot better, as it would be a lot easier to have one friend at this new school. "You also go to Hancrete? Do you want to compare schedules?"

"I do go to Hancrete, but I'm a year younger than you. You're in the high school sector, right?" Sabine paused, and at Ariana's nod, then continued, "Yeah, I'm still in my last year of junior high."

Ariana slumped over, clearly disappointed. "I can show you around, though, during lunch if you have sixth period lunch or after school", Sabine piped up. "We use all the same facilities, and I take Advanced English with the freshmen. I have Ms. Grier."

Ariana fumbled through her tote bag, before finally pulling out a slip of paper. After scanning it briefly, she exclaimed, "I have her too, great! And I have sixth period lunch."

Sabine's head bobbed up and down, and Isaac pulled to a stop in front of a massive building. People were scattered all over the place, from kids squealing and playing tag to teenagers bitching and flirting. "I'll meet you by the cafeteria then", she said.

Ariana was about to reply, when the bell rang. She gave Sabine a quick smile, before hurrying off to first period homeroom.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Ariana paused briefly, her hand rested on the door to her homeroom. "It'll be fine", she told herself, and was reaching for the door handle when she heard a laugh behind her.

She turned around to see a tall boy with dark brown hair chuckling, and her face burned with embarrassment. He leaned past her and pushed the door open, then looked at her. "Ladies first", he smiled.

Ariana twirled her hair hesitantly. The class was split in amusingly stereotypical groups. The front of the classroom was scattered with the "geeky" types, and towards the back were the "cool kids". Ariana hesitated, before heading to an empty seat by the window. The boy followed her, taking a seat beside her. There was an awkward silence, before Ariana broke the silence. "I'm Ariana", she offered.

Ariana could feel the eyes of everyone in the classroom on her. A tall blonde girl stood up and headed for their table. Ariana noticed the boy visibly stiffening. She sat on the table, her legs crossed, between Ariana and the boy. "Hi, I'm Ariana", Ariana began. "I'm new here."

The blonde girl raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows, and waved her hand casually. "Good to know. I see you've met"—

"Trey", the boy supplied, staring daggers at the girl. "I'm Trey", he repeated, resting his hand on her arm possessively. "And that's June", he paused dramatically, before mockingly adding, "She's the It girl."

June shot Trey a nasty look, and slid off the table. "Anyway", she pronounced emphatically, her eyes still lingering on Trey. "I just wanted to invite you to have lunch with me today, Alanna."

With that, June got up and started down the row of desks, in her poised walk. _Wow_, Ariana thought to herself, and couldn't help grinning. It didn't matter that June had gotten her name wrong; she had been invited to eat with the most popular girl in the class! Eager for information, she turned to Trey. It was at this moment that a dark haired woman in a classy black skirt and blouse walked in. "Sorry I'm late, kids", she said as she set her books down.

The teacher noticed Ariana sitting there, and smiled friendlily. Ariana couldn't help smiling back. "Kids, this is Ariana Osgood. Ariana, I'm Mrs. Merre."

"It'll be fine", Trey whispered to her, mockingly. Despite being nervous, Ariana couldn't help but giggle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Ariana exited her Music class, and was heading for the cafeteria, when June appeared. "Hey there", June giggled. "Where're ya off to? We usually eat out by the pond."

"Um", Ariana paused for a moment, beads of nervous sweat forming on her neck. "I actually get the school lunch… I didn't bring a packed lunch."

June shrugged, "It's cool. Grab a tray and meet us out there." She waved her arm vaguely in the direction of a crowded table full of giggling girls, before walking towards them.

Ariana hurried into the cafeteria. "Hi, Ariana", she heard a shy voice call out.

Oh, _crap_. How could she forget? She was meeting Sabine for lunch. "Sabine! Hey, um, I was wondering if you'd like to eat with myself and some other girls out by the pond. They invited me to lunch, and it would be nice to make some friends, so I thought we could all eat together!"

Sabine hesitated, before agreeing. They headed for the lunch line. Sabine reached for a salad, and Ariana rolled her eyes as she reached for a plastic container of pasta. "Gross", she said. "That stuff is like _grass_! How can you stand eating that?"

Sabine giggled, but retracted her hand and reached for a bagel instead. Ariana grabbed a knife and they walked towards the crowded bench. They were nearly there when someone crept up behind her. "Has everything been fine? Like I promised you?" Trey breathed on her from behind.

Ariana squealed, attracting the attention of the kids at the nearby crowded table. All eyes were on her, and Ariana was not sure how to react appropriately. She winked at him, "it's all cool".

She waved him off, before heading towards the table, Sabine at her heels. She paused, waiting for June to introduce her to the table of people. However, June still staring off into the distance at Trey, frowning. Ariana exhaled, before gathering up all her courage and speaking. "Hey, June invited me to hang out with you guys here. I'm Ariana. And this is my friend, Sabine."

The tall dark brunette smiled friendlily, "Hi, Ariana, Sabine. I'm Emily. I'm a Junior."

Immediately after, the other girls also flashed friendly smiles and the guys nodded welcomingly. Ariana joined right into the conversation, which flowed naturally and normally. She felt a sense of relief, as if she belonged. Occasionally, she had to bring Sabine into the conversation, but otherwise everything went smoothly.


	8. Chapter 8

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Ariana dropped her bag on the ground, and inhaled the unfamiliar scent of her new room. She shivered as she surveyed the room once again. Upon glancing around, she spotted a phone placed almost alluringly on the cold, hard surface of her night table. The table was exactly the kind of thing her father would buy; it was clearly expensive, what with the department store name etched into the drawer handles and the flawless white marble. Ariana reached for the phone.

"Please transfer me to the Brockton Hospital. Yes, that's right."

Ariana waited, before speaking. "Hi, may I please be forwarded to the room of Annie Osgood? No? Well, she may have been admitted under her maiden name Townsend."

After a brief moment of silence, a woman's voice answered the phone. "Hello?"

Tears rolled down Ariana's face. She cleared her voice, before softly speaking. "Mom. Mom, it's me- Ari. I've missed you so much. You don't know what it's like. I need you. I need to get away from this place. I want to go –"

"No, Ariana." Her mother interrupted. "Ariana, look— you are going to an _amazing_ school, with an opportunity to have everything you could possibly want or need. Your father can provide these things for you. It's been settled; you'll come visit me during your spring break."

"But mother, I don't need any of this. I just want to be with you." Ariana sniffed miserably.

Ariana's mother ignored her. "Think of everything you'll have! The designer clothes, the chauffeurs, the glamour, the elite crowd, the parties…" She spoke in a passionate tone, almost trancelike. "Oh, Ariana! It's my dream. It's the life that I never had. I want this for you. Don't give it up, please."

Her mother's voice cracked, "do it for me, Ariana."

---

Ariana chewed slowly on a piece of roast beef. It was almost too perfect. All of it. She glanced up, meeting her father's eyes. Her father eyed her critically, before saying, "Ariana, I've signed you up for a course specifically designed for young girls of your status."

"My status?" Ariana choked on her food. She reached for her glass of Perrier and washed down the food.

"Yes", her father spoke sternly. "As my daughter, you will obviously have to attend many events. You'll have to know how to dress, how to speak, and how to act. I won't tolerate anything below a perfect image for this family."

_Family_, thought Ariana bitterly. She bumped into the table, accidentally knocking her fork off the table. "That is exactly the kind of thing you're going to have to work on, child", he sighed, and excused himself.

Ariana sat alone at the dining table. The maid was giving her curious stares, but Ariana didn't care. So this was what her mom was talking about. She glared resentfully at the door her father had walked out of moments before, but at the same time she felt an unwelcome little thrill at being welcomed into this new, glamorous world.


End file.
